2016 Colorado Dual-Sport Athletes
The senior class has produced numerous college basketball signees, but those individuals aren’t the only ones with opportunities to continue their sports careers. Here’s a list of some of the best dual-sport athletes in Colorado, ones who are talented basketball…
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Continue ReadingThe senior class has produced numerous college basketball signees, but those individuals aren’t the only ones with opportunities to continue their sports careers. Here’s a list of some of the best dual-sport athletes in Colorado, ones who are talented basketball players but have committed to colleges in other disciplines.
Cooper Rothe, 6’0, 170, Longmont K/CB (Wyoming football)
Rothe, a phenomenal kicker and cover man who can nail field goals from well over 50 yards and who also tallied nine interceptions, is a three-star football recruit by ESPN. He was one of the most dominant players in Class 4A this fall for a Trojan team that reached the semifinals for the second consecutive season. On the court, he’s been a varsity player for four years and is a good role player off the bench for a program that finished as 4A runner-up last year and is a final four contender again. He’s also a standout on the baseball diamond. Rothe will be one to follow at Wyoming.
Eli Sullivan, 6’2, 190, Longmont WR/RB (Nebraska football)
Sullivan has been a key cog in the Longmont Trojan football machine for the past three seasons. In finishing his career with 102 receptions, 1,688 receiving yards, 4,212 total all-purpose yards and 32 total touchdowns, the future Husker was at the forefront of a Longmont team that finished as the 4A runner-up his junior season and had another semifinal appearance his senior year. He’s also been a valuable defender and ranked basketball prospect for the Longmont hoops program. Sullivan has even been a member of the track and field program for the Trojans.
Ayden Eberhardt, 6’2, 175, Loveland QB (Wyoming football)
Eberhardt, a rare three-sport athlete in football, basketball, and baseball, and one of the program’s top players in each, led Loveland to a 4A state runner-up finish on the gridiron this fall. The play-caller threw for over 1,700 yards and ran for over 1,200 while earning first team all-state honors by CHSAA. He also threw and ran for a combined 30 touchdowns. Eberhardt batted .368 in baseball last spring and is a ranked basketball prospect averaging 14.7 points per game in his senior year. He will likely play wide receiver at Wyoming.
Marcus Quere, 5’10, Loveland distance runner (Kansas track and field)
Quere is one of the state’s top distance runners, as evidenced by times of 1:56 in the 800-meter run, 4:22 in the 1,600, and a school record 9:37 in the 3,200. He also qualified for the 5A state track and field championships in five events as a junior—the 1,600 relay, the 3,200 relay, the 800, the 1,600, and the 3,200—and will be competing in both cross country and track for the Jayhawks. And, on top of that, after a season away from hoops after being a varsity role player as a sophomore at Loveland, he’s the team’s starting point guard as a senior and is averaging 8.7 points per game.
Ben Newton, 6’2, 175, Loveland C (Fort Hays State baseball)
Newton has chosen to pursue a collegiate baseball career at the D-II school in Kansas. A soon-to-be varsity player for four seasons at Loveland, the catcher has batted at least .345 every spring and had a few other baseball offers as well. Newton has also been on the varsity basketball team for three years, is ranked in the 2016 class, and is averaging 12.4 points per game. He also excels defensively with his length and was a promising small-college basketball prospect. Newton, Eberhardt, and Quere have been a talented multi-sport trio for the Indians.
Deron Harrell, 6’3, 175, Denver East QB/WR/DB (Wisconsin football)
Tabbed as a sleeper recruit for the Badgers, Harrell was named the Denver Prep League Offensive MVP as a senior quarterback who threw for 1,347 yards and 17 touchdowns and rushed for another 329 yards and three touchdowns. The three-star prospect by ESPN has bloodlines on the gridiron as his father, Damian, played football at Florida State before a Hall of Fame career as a wide receiver in the Arena Football League. As far as exceptional multi-sport athletes in this Colorado senior class, Harrell is in the conversation as the best. He’s ranked No. 22 in the 2016 hoops class and had low Division I potential on the court as well. He started as a junior on a semifinalist team and is averaging an efficient 15.4 points per game this winter. Harrell will likely play either wide receiver or defensive back for Wisconsin after taking a grayshirt year before enrolling with a scholarship in January 2017.
Elijah Cordero, 6’0, 170, Denver East DB (Fort Hays State football)
Cordero is a rangy athlete who tallied 74 tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery in his final football season for the Angels. He also had three games of double-digit tackles with his highest total (13) coming in a 33-28 win against Boulder. He is an aggressive, speedy safety who is also a member of the prestigious Denver East hoops program. Cordero was one of several talented skill position players for East last fall.
Hassani Moore, 5’11, 160, Denver East WR (CSU-Pueblo football)
Moore was one of the top pass catchers in Colorado, grabbing 50 receptions for 696 yards and five touchdowns as a senior. He is absolutely electric with the ball in his hands and is a nice signee for one of the elite D-II programs in the nation. Moore is also a gifted bench piece, a sure ball-handler and lockdown defender, for a loaded Denver East basketball team.
Elijah Reed, 6’3, 185, Rangeview WR/DB (South Dakota football)
Reed is another terrific football player who will take his talents to an FCS school. He scored eight touchdowns as a senior and has been an equally productive basketball player for the No. 1 ranked team in 5A. The undefeated 17-0 Raiders have counted heavily on Reed, a versatile and slashing forward pouring in 16.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and shooting 68 percent from the field. Reed is even ranked No. 72 in the 2016 hoops class and, if Rangeview, makes a run deep into the playoffs and perhaps even claims a hoops crown, Reed will be a big reason why.
Alijah Halliburton, 6’2, 175, Overland DB (Wyoming football)
Halliburton is an explosive leaper on the hardwood, a supreme athlete for the Trailblazers with tremendous speed and body control. He was a key role player for the basketball team that claimed the 5A crown last season and is averaging 11.8 points for another title-contending group this season. He’s known for making highlight reel plays. As a senior at safety, Halliburton recorded 125 tackles and had 15 solo tackles in a game against Valor Christian. He’s also been a track and field athlete at Overland, always a plus for football prospects to continue to sharpen their athleticism.
Isiah Pannunzio, 6’3, 205, Pueblo South TE/DE (Colorado State football)
Pannunzio, a three-star football prospect by ESPN, is an impressive physical specimen who was a major player for three seasons during a 27-9 stretch for the Colts. The senior has also been a four-year varsity contributor for a top-flight 4A hoops program. He’s racking up 13.3 points per game for a 17-1 team that ranks as one of the favorites for the 4A state crown. On top of it all, the senior is a pretty talented sprinter for the track team. Without a doubt, Pueblo South has one of the elite multi-sport athletes in his Colorado class in Pannunzio.
Jack Burgesser, 6’6, 210, Broomfield QB (Black Hills State football)
Burgesser, another ranked basketball prospect who is averaging 8.9 points and 5.4 rebounds for a 14-5 team, will compete at the Division II ranks as a quarterback. He threw for 16 touchdowns and only eight interceptions as a senior and finished the season in style with 253 yards and four touchdowns through the air in a 42-21 win over Silver Creek. On the court, he’s a gifted face-up forward for one of the Front Range League’s top teams.
Anthony Kasper, 5’11, 180, Silver Creek RB/DB (Western State football)
Kasper accumulated 3,351 rushing yards and 807 receiving yards during his career for the Raptors, capping off his four years with 1,323 rushing yards and 16 total touchdowns as a senior. He will play slot receiver and sometimes line up in the backfield for Western State. Kasper is also the point guard for a 12-6 basketball team and is averaging 8.1 points per game. He’s dabbled in high school baseball as well. The senior will look to continue his all-purpose production on the football field in Gunnison, Colo.
Taylor Walters, 6’3, 205, Paonia QB/RB/OLB (Colorado Mesa football)
Walters, a star player on the gridiron for back-to-back 1A state championship teams as a sophomore and junior, has signed with Colorado Mesa University, a Division II school, for football. He threw for 1,909 yards and 32 touchdowns and rumbled for 6,675 yards and 90 touchdowns during his career for the Eagles. On the basketball court, he’s averaging over nine points and five rebounds a game, while chipping in 1.8 steals this season for a 14-1 team. Walters is an outstanding athlete, especially on the football field, for a very strong sports school in the small division ranks.